Artists are expressing frustration as DistroKid quietly removes their songs in response to Universal Music Group’s (UMG) lawsuit. Musician McGwire reports that six of his tracks were taken down without prior notice, leaving him and others in the dark about the reasons behind the removals.

McGwire managed to get in contact with DistroKid, only after a “lengthy circular conversation” with a bot, and still received no clear explanation. Other artists, like rapper Insane Ian, experienced similar issues with no warnings or communication.

Music producer Jesse Cannon, a former DistroKid employee, claims the company abandoned customer service two years ago. “They should have allowed artists to have recourse in this and a warning to debate,” he said, “but I’ve been told by former employees they see customer service as a waste of profits since they have such a high market share and remain ubiquitous.”

DistroKid’s VP of Artist Services, Amanda Ferri, acknowledged that a small number of recordings have been removed in response to UMG’s claims but played down the issue, saying it was a “disruption” but not a significant one. The company is working to minimize the impact on affected artists while protecting their ability to release music.